Method of reinforcing and finishing a bowling pin



March 3, 1959 w. L. HUNT 2,376,011

METHOD OF REINFORCING AND FINISHING A BOWLING PIN Filed Dec. 11, 1956 INVENTOR hfimuw Z. Hl/JVI' BY 4M ATTORNEYS United States Patent METHOD OFREINFORCING AND FINISHING A BOWLING PIN Application December 11, 1956,Serial No. 627,656 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-82) The present invention relatesto bowling pins, and more particularly to the method of forming samehaving means therein to prevent excessive deformation of the pin in theball contact zone.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a method of forming abowling pin in which the effective life of the pin is materiallyincreased by reducing the incident of damage to the pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of forming abowling pin wherein pins damaged beyond use in normal bowling may berestored to full usefulness thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and means forrefurbishing bowling pins whereby the pin meets all standardsestablished for new bowling pins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturingand refurbishing bowling pins which is inexpensive, easy to perform, andwhich will produce a bowling pin having an effective life greater than anew bowling pin manufactured in a conventional manner.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bowling pin incorporating theinvention shown partially broken away for clarity of illustration.

Figure 2 is a grossly enlarged vertical cross section of a fragment ofthe invention taken on the line 2-2- of Figure 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a side elevation ofthe bowling pin damaged in normal play.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a bowling pin with the first step of theinvention carried out thereon.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a bowling pin with the second step ofthe invention carried out thereon.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a bowling, pin with the third step ofthe invention carried out thereon.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like referencecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, thereference numeral 10 indicates generally a bowling pin constructed inaccordancewith the invention.

The bowling pin 10 comprises a maple wood body 11, a base 12, a neckportion 13, and a head 14. The conformation of the bowling pin 10 isconventional and is controlled by bowling organizations.

In normal use the wooden body 11 of the bowling pin 10 is struck by thebowling ball (not shown) in the fattest area of the body 11 and sustainsdamage as indicated at 15 to the wooden body 11. After the bowling body11 has sustained a considerable amount of damage Patented Mar. 3, 1959ice 15, the conformation thereof no longer meets league standards andthe pin can no longer be used in league games. A bowling pin 11sustaining suflicient damage 15 to be substandard in size can then onlybe used in 5 practice games, and even then the pin is undesirable sincethe action obtained therewith is below standard.

In carrying out the invention, a pin body 11 having damage 15 thereon,or a new pin body 11 in undamaged condition, is placed in a lathe (notshown) and an annular recessed band 16 is cut therein in the fattestportion of the pin body 11. After the pin body 11 has been recessed at16, a double layer of twine 17 is wrapped thereon. The twine 17, priorto being wrapped in the recess 16 of the pin 11 is first wet with aliquid plastic material and is wound onto the pin 11 in a wet condition.

The wet twine 17 is permitted to completely harden or dry at roomtemperatures and under normal conditions with respect to the atmosphere.After the plastic coated twine has hardened, a plastic material 18having the general consistency of putty is pressed into the groove 16 incontact with the twine 17 to a height above the original contours of thepin 11.

Illustrated in Figure 6 is a pin 11 with the plastic material 18 raisedabove the normal contours of the pin 11. The plastic material 18 is thenpermitted to dry at normal temperatures and normal conditions of theatmosphere into a relatively hard impenetrable mass. The bowling pinbody 11 is then turned in a lathe until the original contours thereofhave been reestablished whereupon the pin 11 is provided with a plasticcoat 19 and a paint coat 20 in a conventional manner.

When the pin 11 has the damage 15 thereof extending about and below thegroove 16, it should be understood that the plastic mass 18 may beutilized in filling the damaged areas prior to the turning of the pin11.

The twine 17 provides a combined reinforcement for the pin 11 and acushion underlying the plastic mass 18 to cushion a portion of the shockoccurring when the ball strikes the pin 11.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of theappended claim.

What is claimed is:

The method of reinforcing and finishing a bowling pin which includes thesteps of turning an annular groove in the ball contact zone of the pin,wrapping the pin in the turned groove to a height to partially fill thegroove with plural layers of twine impregnated with a plastic materialin a liquid state, drying the plastic impregnated twine, covering thedry plastic impregnated twine with suflicient plastic substance to fillthe remainder of the groove and extend outwardly therebeyond, turningthe pin including the plastic substance to standard bowling pincontours, and coating the turned pin and plastic substance with finishmaterials.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,774,385 Lard Aug. 26, 1930 2,304,585 McMinn Dec. 8, 1942 2,494,351Montero Ian. 10, 1950 2,535,033 Bergere Dec. 26, 1950

